Benue Lawmaker Warns of “Systematic Genocide,” Says IDP Figures Are Understated

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in Benue State, Terseer Ugbor, has warned that the level of killings and displacement in the state is far worse than reported, insisting that the current figures of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) may be heavily understated.

Ugbor raised the alarm on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television, where he condemned what he described as systematic genocidal attacks on communities across Benue and other parts of Nigeria.

“If the Tor Tiv, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, has confirmed before President Bola Tinubu that genocidal killings are taking place in Benue, and the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese has also affirmed the same, who am I to deny it?” he said.

The lawmaker stressed that the violence evokes memories of historical genocides such as Darfur, Southern Congo, and the Nazi atrocities against Jews, calling the situation “unthinkable” for a Nigerian state.

Ugbor revealed that over 600,000 people are currently displaced in Benue—one of the highest IDP populations in the country—and urged the government to implement urgent recovery and resettlement programmes.

He noted that US Congressman Riley Moore, who recently joined a fact-finding mission on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, physically witnessed the scale of devastation many communities face.

“Benue State has become the IDP capital of Nigeria, which is deeply unfortunate,” Ugbor said, adding that ongoing engagements between the state government and religious leaders aim to create mechanisms to resettle displaced persons and reintegrate them into productive ventures.